The Silent Chase
by xxBlackOrchidxx
Summary: What if Bella didn't fall in love with Edward right away? What if she instinctively shied away like normal humans do, like she was supposed to? OOC-ish. Canon couples. HIATUS INDEFINITELY
1. Chapter 1: The Start

**Summary**: What if Bella didn't fall in love with Edward right away? What if she instinctively shied away like normal humans do, like she was supposed to?

**A/N: **This is my first story… Sorry if it's not great. Please keep reading, though. It gets better!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight, or any characters. Yeah, whatever, we all know…

Chapter 1: The Start

BPOV

_Why did I choose to leave?_ I asked myself for the 47th time since I got off the wretched plane from Phoenix. Yes, I was counting. Yes, I knew it was fairly pathetic. The first time was when I stumbled over the wheel of my rugged suitcase at the airport and fell into Charlie. So much for first impressions. I know, it was my dad, but still! I would have liked to have at least said a greeting before he had to help me from my awkward, and truthfully, crippling clumsiness. I had hoped to give him the impression that I had grown out of that at least until we got home. But now, here I was, 46 reiterated questions later, sitting in my truck. Staring at what was possibly the worst thing that has happened since I asked myself that first question that seemed to be my personal motto now. _Why, why, why?_

The faded black Forks High School sign was staring right back. I sighed heavily, and slowly got out of my truck. I briefly thought back to my first day in Forks, on the car ride home with Charlie. He told me he had gotten me a new truck. I was touched that he had done something like that for me, but a little skeptical. Charlie normally wasn't… in tune with my style. So, I had asked when it was made, how well it ran, the basic stuff, you know? Turned out it was and old rusted 1960's Chevy pickup truck. I had been very hesitant to see it, but was assured it ran great. When we pulled up at the house and I saw it, I was surprised. I loved my new truck! It was a faded red, and one of those sturdy metal classics. It was perfect for me. I needed something like this what with my amazingly good luck.

"Yeah, right", I muttered to myself at my lie. I had to have possibly the WORST luck of anyone in Forks. And Phoenix. And it was even up for debate that I could have the worst luck in the country. No joke. I don't have a good sense of humor.

The second I stepped out of my beloved truck, the cold, wet air hit me. I grumbled a stream of incoherent words complaining about this horrid weather, and hurried up the path to the Front Office. _Oh, I probably shouldn't have parked there. _I thought looking behind me as I noticed I was the only student parked in front of this building. _Oh well, I'll just be a minute. _I reasoned to myself. As I turned back around, I almost smacked into the glass door. I grumbled to myself about my failure to notice my surroundings, and opened the door.

I welcomed the warmth as it blossomed around me, fighting away the cold. I hurriedly stepped inside to completely escape the outside weather. I looked around me with a less then exuberant smile and found the person I was looking for. Well, actually, I had no idea who I was looking for, but seeming how this frail, old woman was the only person in sight, I assumed she was the one. She looked up at the sound of the _ding_ announcing my arrival to the room and smiled warmly at me.

"Hello. Can I help you dear?" she asked me. She was a redhead with an average amount of lines and wrinkles for someone around the age of 50.

"Hi. My name is Bella Swan. I'm new. I was told to come here to get my schedule before school started?" The last statement came out as a question. I saw a brief flash of confusion in her eyes, and then understanding mixed with excitement.

"Oh! Chief Swan's daughter! We've been waiting for your arrival. You prefer Bella, I presume? Your papers all say Isabella." She surmised, smiling more warmly than before. She seemed very… Motherly. That was a good word. "Oh, and I almost forgot my name. I'm Ms. Cope. Its nice to meet you, dear."

"Yeah, um, I do prefer Bella, but Isabella is fine. It's, uh, it's nice to meet you, too." She smiled and looked down at her desk.

"Well, Bella, I will be sure to note that to your teachers for you. Here is your schedule and a map of the school." She said while sorting through a rather unorganized pile of papers by her right leg. I was surprised that she said she would take care of my name. Back in Phoenix, there were so many children, it was basically the students for themselves. In fact, the office rarely associated with their students other than when necessary. She finally handed me a white paper, and a light blue paper with yellow on it. "I have highlighted the best routes for you to take, but you can take others, of course."

"Uh, thanks. That's really helpful. Is there anything else I need?" I questioned, while taking the papers from her hand and glancing down at them.

"No, I think you're all set. I hope you have a great first day, honey. Oh, wait! There _is_ one more thing, silly me!" She chuckled as she turned around to grab a slip from a basket behind her. "I need you to get this signed by each of your teachers and bring it back at the end of the day, please."

I took the slip from her as she told me that if I got lost, to come back here and someone would help me find my class if necessary. I did my best to smile as I thanked her and turned to face my impending embarrassment, outside of the warm office.

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EPOV

Today started like any other. I got dressed and drove my family to school. Emmett and Rosalie were having some sort of disagreement, but I'm sure they would figure out a way to resolve it by lunch. According to Emmett, Rose was in the wrong, and according to Rose, well, she had no idea what was wrong, or what she did. But it really was none of my business, although I still _know_ everyone else's business, however unwillingly. Still, it helps that Emmett is one of the easiest going guys I have ever met.

As for Alice and Jasper, they were having a "moment" or whatever the heck it is. It's rather sick, if you ask me. All these lovers around, and no one for me. _Oh, get over it Edward,_ I thought to myself bitterly. _It's no one else's fault but your own, so stop complaining! _It _was_ technically my fault. Being a vampire did have it's advantages, and the one concerning beauty was a bit of a help in the romance department. There were certainly a decent amount of women who showed interest. I, however, did not. I just didn't _feel_ anything, so I blew off their advances.

_Oh, great! Edward's in a _lovely_ mood! How wonderful for the rest of us. So what is it now, Mr. __Disconsolate? Or is it Mr. Despondent this time? _I internally groaned at hearing Rosalie's mocking voice. Apparently she noticed my face. Apparently I had been making a face when thinking about my "love life", if you could even call it that.

"So Emmett, what did Rose do again?" I smirked, looking in the rear view mirror at Rosalie. I had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes bulge for a second, then giving me the iciest glare she could muster. I had to admit, I was pretty impressed. Rose was known as the queen of bad temperament at the Cullen house, so icy glares weren't infrequent. This one however, put the rest to shame. I had to choke back a giggle of amusement. She had been trying to make Emmett forgive and forget, especially the latter.

_Why you freaki-_, she started, but Emmett looked up towards me with a questioning look in his eyes, so I tuned Rose out to listen to him.

_Sort of random bro, don't you think? Why do you want to know?_

"Oh, I'll tell you later." I laughed, still feeling Rosalie's glare at the back of my head. He looked at Rose just then, and laughed.

_Oh wow dude. You really ticked her off._ He smirked internally, as did I. Rose had heard his laugh and turned her death glare to him.

I pulled into the parking lot shortly after, and let out a internal groan. I really didn't feel like facing 7 hours of school today. A short 2 minutes later, I heard the bell ring, and this time I couldn't hold the groan in. I turned to face the buildings that held my impending boredom.

_Here we go…_

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**Kate**


	2. Chapter 2: First Glimpse

**Summary:** What if Bella didn't fall in love with Edward right away? What if she instinctively shied away like normal humans do, like she was supposed to?

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight, or any characters. Yeah, whatever, we all know…

Chapter 2: First Glimpse

BPOV

The bell rang a few seconds after I re-parked. I had followed the rest of the students around a couple of buildings to what I assumed would be the student parking area. It was much smaller than the one at my high school in Phoenix, approximately one tenth the size. Sadly though, all cars fit, and there were still spaces left. I grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat and opened the door, with Ms. Cope's papers still in my hand. I glanced down at my backpack and looked at the other students' backpacks. I was lucky I got black; It didn't stand out with the rest of backpacks, primarily black as well.

As I walked into the cluster of buildings, I began to notice the stares. _Of course they're staring, you idiot! _I scolded myself. _There's all of about 300 kids in this school. Of course they noticed someone new. _

"Yeah," I grumbled. "they would probably notice a new blade of grass in a town this small." But, unwilling to be known as the new girl that talks to herself, I began to study the map, and found my first class. I kept it out as I walked to class, only peeking up occasionally to see where I was walking, and how many people were still staring.

Finally I saw my class. English. I hurried towards the door, hoping to get there before the bell rang so I could get my slip signed without attracting any more notice holding up the class. I was lucky. I got to class in enough time to get my paper signed and get assigned a seat. Mr. Mason gave me a spot near the back on the right. I think he would be my favorite teacher. He did no business with introductions. But I was red as a tomato anyways, so I suppose it wouldn't have mattered. Also, he had just started a lesson on one of my favorite books, _Pride and Prejudice_ by Jane Austen. At least the day was starting off okay.

About halfway through the class though, I began to notice this boy staring at me. He had black hair, and seemed sort of nerdy. _But who am I to judge?_ I smirked in my head. I knew I was a nerd and it was wholly unfair of me to begin judging others so quickly without knowing them. He had a few pimples, but what teenage boy didn't? He was average looking. And he was looking right at _me. _I blushed profusely and looked back down at my notes. I don't know what was different. Everyone else was staring, but that wasn't it. I knew I would be stared at and it wasn't weird to me. But _his_ staring made me feel uncomfortable, but I didn't know why. I didn't like it.

Suddenly the bell rang, indicating it was time to go to my next class. I fumbled with my notebook trying to put it back in my backpack. Finally I did that and was getting out my papers again when the boy approached me.

"Hi. I'm Eric. You're the Chief's daughter, Isabella?" He asked. I tried my best to be polite, but honestly, I had no experience whatsoever talking to guys. I had been ignored by all of the male population at Phoenix.

"Y-yeah, um, Bella, though. It's nice to m-meet you, Eric." I stammered. _Oh God, Bella! He's not cute and your _nervous_?! This is ridiculous. You don't even like him!_

"Okay, um, so… How's your first day at Forks High?" He said, and appeared to be just as nervous as me. I briefly toyed with the idea that I was the first girl he'd ever spoken to, and had to choke back a laugh.

"It's going… Awkward, I guess you could say? Is kind of hard going to a new school when you're a junior in the middle of the school year. But I'm, uh, I'm holding up, thanks for asking." I wanted to get out of the room so bad! I needed to get to my next class… And away from this boy…

"Oh. Well, I hope you get more comfortable here. Do you need help finding your next class?" he asked, looking sort of hopeful. Again, the thought of me being the only girl he's talked to ran through my mind and I almost giggled. But I was serious again after his question processed.

"Um, I think I know where it is. Government with Jefferson?" I asked, sort of amused by the teachers name and the subject he taught. I saw Eric's eyes brighten a bit, and my amusement died away.

"Oh! I have him next period too! I can walk you to class." He offered. I had to hold back a groan. I was considering saying no and that I had to use the restroom, but then the thought of not having to reference the map was too tempting. Besides, at least now I knew someone. Even if they were a little more enthusiastic than I felt.

"Okay, thanks. That's really nice of you, Eric." I said, trying to smile with the most enthusiasm I could manage.

It really wasn't bad. He pointed out buildings that I was sure would be helpful later in my search for them. And while my suspicions were confirmed about him being a total nerd, he was really nice. But sort of over-friendly. I didn't like that so much. Soon we reached the classroom and I trudged up to Mr. Jefferson to give him my slip. He pointed me to the back row, in the middle. He didn't make me introduce myself, but he did announce that "we had a new student", and I immediately blushed fourteen shades of red as every single head turned to look at me. I just glanced down at my desk and wished the class would be over soon. That the _day_ would be over soon.

The bell rang loudly, and I welcomed it. Eric had been called down to the front office for something so I was alone. But somewhat grateful for that. My semi-good spirits didn't last. I saw a set of feet approach me and I looked up. Standing there was a boy that was actually kind of cute. He had blonde hair gelled up a little, or perhaps it was wet with rain. In Forks, you never know. He had pretty blue eyes, and a smile on his face. My earlier assumption about all teenage boys with unhealthy skin was incorrect. This boy has good skin, I surmised.

"Hi! My name is Mike Newton. Your Isabella Swan, right?" He asked with curiosity alight in his eyes.

"Um, yeah. Bella, actually. It's great to meet you, Mike." I said, with a bit more enthusiasm than with Eric. Not that I could blame myself. Mike was very easily three times better looking. And confident.

"Oh! Okay, then Bella. Can I walk you to your next class?"

"Sure, as long as it's not too much trouble for you." I replied and silently begged it not to be. All my awkwardness I had with Eric was gone. I _liked _Mike.

"Not at all! What's your next class?" He asked with a grin. After I told him, he smiled wider. "Well then it really won't be a problem. I have Mr. Hendrix next too."

"Well I'm glad I won't be a bother then." I said with a bright smile. The first real and involuntary all day. We headed off to building four talking about how I was liking Forks, and how much I missed Phoenix, stuff like that. When we got to the door, I handed my slip to Mr. Hendrix, who signed it and then made me go up to the front of the class and introduce myself. I hated him for it. I was beet red and stammered. I also tripped on my way to my seat, which of course, was in the front. I hated this class.

When it was over, Mike came over and asked if I would eat lunch at his table. I reluctantly accepted, even though I was glad I wouldn't be sitting alone, and we walked to lunch. He showed me how the lines worked and stayed with me when I got my food. It was all extremely nice, especially considering how much I was blushing and stammering. I thought he would have ditched me by then, thinking I was too weird and shy.

I found out Eric sat at Mike's table, and he was sending Mike some very unfriendly looks as Mike was introducing me to everyone and vice versa. There was a girl with really curly light brown hair that was eyeing Mike in a way that made me feel just a hint of jealousy. Her name was Jessica. There was a very nice girl with long, straight, dark brown hair named Angela. She had glasses but looked pretty in them. She seemed to be caring and concerned about how my day was going and if she could do anything to help. I immediately liked her. Then Mike introduced me to a blonde named Lauren. She looked at me oddly as if she was embarrassed at having to be seen with "the new girl", and was kind of mean and gave snide comments. There were a couple others, but I didn't pay attention. I had just seen a group of five children that had taken away my attention and breath. Sorry, Mike.

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**Kate**


	3. Chapter 3: Intrigued

**Summary: **What if Bella didn't fall in love with Edward right away? What if she instinctively shied away like normal humans do, like she was supposed to?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight, or any characters. Yeah, whatever, we all know…

CHAPTER 3: INTRIGUED

EPOV

All day. All _day_ I had to put up with excited thoughts about a new student. It was pathetic. And now Forks High had a whopping three hundred and_ seven _students. That was even more pathetic. But really, I shouldn't be complaining about this rainy town. I loved it. It allowed me to be the closest to human I had ever been. I was only forced inside on approximately 25 days out of the year now. We _all_ loved it. It was our favorite town yet.

At the thought of my family, I began to think about what to get Carlisle and Esme for their anniversary. It had been so many decades now, there was really no point in keeping track, but my advanced mind could do the math very quickly. _74 years of love and happiness. Carlisle had found his soul mate in Esme._ As soon as I thought that, I was back into this morning's state of bitterness.

_You'll make a good choice. _I heard suddenly, while a vision of Esme happily laughing in joy and excitement flashed in my head. I looked at Alice and she smiled. _I don't know what you're getting her, but she is going to love it._

I grinned, pleased. Well, at least I was on the right track. I had toyed with the idea of cleaning the whole house and decorating it with her favorite flowers, or perhaps those flowers and a weekend getaway for her and Carlisle on her island. I was sure the mini vacation would be more suitable for an anniversary present, it being more romantic. I would save the other idea for her birthday. I was rather proud of myself. I had come up with presents for two different occasions all in seconds. Typically, it took me much longer, even with my extra advantage of knowing what everyone wanted.

Carlisle would be happy as long as Esme was happy, so I didn't need to worry about his present. He needed a break from work anyways, so this would please him too. I had heard thoughts recently from him about wishing he could spend some more time with Esme.

_Oh, God. Here we go again. This is why I _hate_ new students. Good thing we don't get them often. _This particularly nasty "voice" stood out, and I immediately recognized Lauren Mallory. I welcomed anything that would detract from my incessant boredom at school. I listened toward her trying to figure out what had her aggravated. Not that it was rare. She was like the human version of Rosalie.

_Well, there go my chances with her. _I heard Mike Newton think. I realized this was about the new girl when I remembered Lauren's thought about a "new student". Great. And here I thought it would be something interesting. Then I heard a thought that made it interesting.

_She's finally seen the Cullens._ Jessica Stanley.

It was my job as the mind reader of the family to keep a lookout for when someone got suspicious of the Cullen family. And the thoughts when they first saw us. I sighed and expanded my mind out to find the new girl's thoughts. Isabella Swan. I had heard her correct a few people, saying she would like to be called Bella. But I couldn't find her. I looked over, trying to find her location so I could do this easier. It almost made me uneasy, I normally didn't need a visual to find someone and their accompanying thoughts. I didn't get too upset however, because this had happened one or twice before, so I continued looking for the girl.

It wasn't hard finding her. She was staring right at me. The second she caught me catching her, she blushed a bright red and looked down. I zeroed in on her head and prepared for the onslaught of thoughts about us. _Nothing. _

I heard absolutely nothing. Silence. I furrowed my eyebrows and shoved at her brain in my head, trying to break the silencing barrier. It did nothing. I couldn't hear a single thought. I was so confused. I heard Jasper ask me what was wrong when he felt my sudden mood change. I turned and looked at my family. They were all staring at me.

"What happened?" He asked me simply. I just shrugged, with a dumbfounded expression on my face. I hardly knew myself. This had _never_ happened before. I had _always_ been able to hear every living thing's thoughts, if they had any. And here, this frail little human girl, had withstood my talent. Shock passed through me once again, and I felt Jasper stiffen when he felt the new wave of feeling. This got Alice worried.

"Oh, no Edward! She didn't guess what we were right away did she?!" Alice asked, frightened. Her question made everyone else's thoughts a jumbled mess.

"No." This was all I said. Everyone calmed down at once, but Emmett started asking questions.

"Well then what is it that's got you so freaked, dude? You should have seen your face." He said with a chuckle. I glared at him, and Alice spoke up.

"Though I wouldn't put it that carelessly," she sniffed, "I think we all _would_ like to know what happened."

"I can't hear her."

They all looked at me skeptically. It was well known that I could hear anything's thoughts.

"What do you mean you can't _hear_ her? You can hear everyone! Try harder Edward!" I looked at the aggravated face that those words had just come from.

"I don't _know_ why I can't hear her, Rosalie, and I _did_ try harder. It's not working!" I was getting really frustrated. I needed to find out her thoughts. It went beyond protecting my family, but I don't know why. I found her little head mystery intriguing. Something to pass my time was always welcome.

"Well, try, bro. I don't want to move again. You know how ticked Rose gets." Ah, I did know how ticked Rose got. I turned to smile at Emmett, and reassured him that it would be my first priority. No need to mention my own personal reasons.

I was just about to ask Alice to search the future for if I talked to her when her visions filled my mind. She had seen me about to ask and was already doing so. In a moment, a vision of me talking to Bella in Biology was dancing in front of my eyes. Alice spoke to me then.

_She has next period Biology with you. You are going to talk to her. I can't see if it will solve your little "mystery" though._

"Thanks for the information. I'll see you all in the car after school." I stood up in unison with Alice, both of us having seen that the bell would ring in a couple of seconds. Rosalie just glared at me, still fuming about my question to Emmett in the car. She had been insulting me all through lunch, still not over it. I just gave her a big grin and walked over to her, my arms held wide for a hug. She rolled her eyes and smirked, grabbing Emmett's hand as they danced off to 4th period. I turned to catch one more glimpse of the shielded human before I left for class.

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**Kate**


	4. Chapter 4: Introductions

**Summary:** What if Bella didn't fall in love with Edward right away? What if she instinctively shied away like normal humans do, like she was supposed to?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight, or any characters. Yeah, whatever, we all know…

**Note**: I will not be posting 4 chapters every time. This was a one time occurrence. I will, however, try to have one chapter up a week, perhaps more depending on my schedule. Also, I would like to thank my amazing Beta for helping with this chapter. It sucked before, and now I think it is my best so far! So, props to her! :)

CHAPTER 4: INTRODUCTIONS

BPOV

They were beautiful. Absolutely stunning. There, in the cold, rainy, dreary town of Forks, Washington, sat the five most perfect beings ever to walk the earth. It didn't matter that they were just teenagers. They easily outshone the most beautiful swimsuit model, airbrushed to utter perfection.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. Everyone at the table was probably thinking I was crazy, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. Only when _he_, the most beautiful of all, turned and caught me staring, did I finally break my gaze and looked down. Jessica was smirking at me.

"So you saw them, then?" Was the first thing out of her mouth. When she saw my confused look, she clarified. "You could only be staring at the Cullens, Bella. Five teenagers, perfect, beautiful?" She saw my blush and smiled. "Don't worry, we all did the same thing when they moved here two years ago. You can hardly help it."

I smiled back at her as Mike showed me which seat was mine. "Which one is the boy with the bronze hair?" I whispered. Not that he could hear me all the way across the loud, wild cafeteria. He was the first one I'd noticed. Who couldn't even glance in that direction without having your eye automatically drawn to the messy head of startlingly bronze hair? I looked up from the table with a curious gleam in my eye. Mike was cute, but _Oh, My God._ He has nothing on this boy.

"Ah. That is Edward, the most gorgeous. He and his siblings are adopted by Carlisle Cullen, our current House. His wife is Esme. I don't know much about her. The two blondes, Jasper and Rosalie Hale, _are_ related. They're twins. The _really_ big dark haired dude is Emmett. He is dating Rosalie, and was adopted by Carlisle and Esme, too. They're all dating each other, except for Edward. The little black haired girl is Alice, the last one adopted by the Cullens. She is dating Jasper. They aren't actually _related_ but they live together, you know, so it's a little weird, but you'll get used to it." After Jessica finished her speech, she glanced behind her at them and smirked, turning back to her food.

I looked back up at Edward, and once I was past the awe-inspiring beauty, I was somewhat unnerved. How could anyone be so perfect? All of them? They weren't related for the most part. Yet so hauntingly beautiful.

As soon as I was finished with lunch, Mike got up with me and we threw our lunch away. He began questioning me about my schedule, only to get disappointed to learn we had just 3 classes together. Mr. Mason, Mr. Hendrix, and Mr. Banner for Biology, our next class. But he did seem cheered by the fact that we had lunch together too.

As we walked to class with some people from our table, he informed me about what they had been learning. I already knew all of it. I was in AP classes in Phoenix. _Well, this will be an easy class._ I thought smugly. _Probably my favorite too. _As we walked through the door, I said goodbye to Mike and went up to Mr. Banner. I gave him my slip, which he signed, and handed me a book. He pointed me to my seat, and when I saw where he was pointing, my jaw became unlatched. The only open seat in the room was next to Edward Cullen.

I instantly regretted my earlier thoughts. _Favorite class?_ I snorted.

I hesitantly walked up to the desk that we would be sharing, completely red. I immediately regretted my smugness, too. How would I ever be able to work with him there?! It would be so embarrassing. I might as well move that A down to a B.

As I looked up at him, his face was tight with pain and anger. What had I done? Was it even me? This was kind of weird. He was sitting completely rigid, and it looked like he was having a hard time staying seated. This confused me, as I had no idea why he would be having trouble staying seated.

After I put my bag down, waited for Mr. Banner to start class. After a few minutes, I glanced up at Edward, and he was _glaring _at me. I had never seen anyone glare so threateningly. I was caught in his eyes though, no matter how bad I wanted to look away. They were pitch black, and absolutely mesmerizing. But just before he looked away, I thought I saw something, though it made no sense in this beautiful boy's eyes. Bloodlust. He finally broke contact and stared straight ahead, one hand clenching the table so hard I thought it would break, the other balled in a fist so tight I thought he would hurt himself. I could see the tendons standing out.

While looking at his hand, I noticed how pale he was. I was so caught up in his eyes when looking at his face that I didn't even notice it. He was paler than me. Also, his features were even more perfect, viewed from up close. He looked like a god. A terrifying god of destruction.

I was concerned though, once I got past the observations about him. I needed to know if it was me, if that devastating glare was my fault. I summoned up all my courage. I almost backed out, but I forced the words out of my mouth. "H-h-hi. I'm B-bella." I just barely stammered. I was so afraid of his reaction to me. He turned his cold, hard eyes towards me and spoke stiffly through his clenched teeth.

"I know."

He knew? How the heck could he know? This was my first class with him. _And hopefully my _only_ one._ I thought resentfully to myself. It didn't escape my notice what tone he used with me. Angry, painful, curt. I didn't even know this guy, and he already hated me? But he already knew who I was. The whole freaking town knew who I was thanks to Charlie's "bragging". I would have to have a chat with him about that when I go home. I was getting mad, so I glared right back at Edward, although he had turned back around the second the words had left his lips. I was liking Mike so much more. _Bah! Mike is so much better than him._ I thought. There was just something about Edward. Something foreign, something that repelled. And it certainly was working on me.

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EPOV

I waited in class for her, sitting at our desk. I already knew she would sit here beside me for two reasons. First, because it was the only seat left in the room, and second because Alice's vision had shown us sitting together.

I saw her walk in with Newton, and was surprised at the thoughts coming out of Mike. He was pretty popular. Knew just about everyone. Captain of the basketball team. Pretty standard stuff. All the girls liked him, once they got over their obsession with me. It wasn't that I was full of myself, but being a vampire had its quirks, and being extraordinarily beautiful to our prey was one of them. But Mike never really liked these girls back. He dated a couple of them, but it wasn't for very long. Hearing his thoughts about the girl was interesting.

_She's pretty. And nice. I hope she likes me. And Eric better lay off. It's obvious she likes me more. Doesn't she?_

The thoughts of a typical human teenager. Insecure, and unlike Mike. He was normally very confident, but seemed unsure of himself with Bella. It was even unlike Mike to like her in the first place. Not because she was pretty, the reason other teenage boys normally liked girls. He actually thought she was nice, and thoughtful. He enjoyed talking with her. It almost made me smile to know that Mike actually liked a girl now. I could see his plan. He didn't want to freak Bella out. He wanted to get to know her, let them become friends. Then he would let them become more than friends.

It looked like it might work. The girl did seem to like him. Certainly more than Eric, so Mike was correct. I had seen Eric's thoughts, and he was comparing how Bella acted with Mike to how she acted with him. The situation wasn't looking good for Eric. I chuckled under my breath.

During my observations, Mike had taken his seat next to a kid named Ben, and Bella was going up to the teacher. He signed the piece of paper she handed him, and gave her a book. I had already cleared off her spot at our desk, so I waited patiently to attack her head to figure out why I couldn't hear her.

I never got the chance. The instant she turned her scent hit in a wave, and I was consumed by the violent thoughts in my head. Fire raced up and down my throat. Venom filled my mouth. There was a voice -of my own making- that told me to kill her. Right now. I so very nearly did. But the person who I had become in the last eight decades put up a picture of Carlisle in front of my eyes. It binded the violent _thing_ for a moment. I was able to think clearly for just a second, and had enough sense to hold my breath. It only minutely helped the fire. The beast suddenly broke free and urged me to consume the sweetest blood I had ever smelled.

The urge got stronger as she got closer. I had to hold myself in the chair so I would not end the life of this frail human next to me. She sat down, while her heat and scent washed over me, drenching me in it, making the fire get hotter and hotter. It was forcing its presence in the front of my mind.

I looked down at her. Well, really, glared. My thoughts about this girl had done a three-sixty. _Why_ did she have to come here? I didn't want to be a murderer! _I didn't want to disappoint Carlisle._

I was pushing my self-control to the limit as she turned to meet my gaze with her warm chocolate brown eyes. They were very pretty, but the thought got lost in my other rampaging, murderous thoughts. She just looked into my eyes with the most bewildered expression. She looked _scared_. And there was a hint of confusion. _What is that about?_

I looked away. I had to. I didn't want to snap, and end up killing her. Just looking at her, seeing the blush and the flow of blood, almost had me up and out of the chair, my teeth at her throat.

After a few moments, I heard a small, hesitant voice. It had a hint of anger and fear there as well.

"H-h-hi. I'm B-bella." Hearing the voice helped me, ironically. I was caught up in the mystery again, momentarily forgetting the beast in my head. I wondered if I had heard it before, and found myself trying to solve the mystery of her silent thoughts. This allowed me to answer without killing her, though I had to be curt. I turned and looked at her, trying not to stare too deeply into her eyes. There were actually quite mesmerizing, although the violent beast in my head snorted saying, _They will be dull and lifeless soon, forget it._ I decided to answer now, before the beast took full control again.

"I know." I did. It was truthful. I had heard about her all morning. Maybe in less than conventional ways, but I still did.

I caught the look on her face as I turned back to the front of the classroom. I sort of expected it, given the tone I had used. It was a mixture of anger, fear, and her previous emotion of confusion. I understood the anger. I was curt and she had seen the glare earlier. I even understood the fear, for the same reasons. My face was probably absolutely terrifying. I was sure that my emotions from the violent war in my head against the terrible voice was etched across every line and feature on my face.

But the confusion I didn't understand. There should only have been hurt and anger. Pain was a bit understandable. But if I knew human nature, which I positively did, she shouldn't have progressed past those emotions yet. She should still be consumed in the other feelings.

So again, like the idiot I was, I was dying to know what her thoughts were. I knew I shouldn't be, but I was even more intrigued. The fire died down some more with my curiosity, but only minutely. Not near enough to make it bearable. I suddenly found myself picturing ways to kill her. I did my best to shove the pictures out of my head, but they kept coming. Only when they progressed to me seeing her dead did I manage to completely shove them out. I couldn't stand to see her dead.

I glanced down at her, and she was glaring angrily towards the front of the classroom, she expression still the same as the last I saw it. The confusion piqued my interest again. I don't know why, but I made myself a vow right then and there that I would find out. I told myself that I would work to tame this beast, this beast called _thirst_, so I would be able to figure out the inner workings of her mind.

I would make it so it was barely there when I was around her. I knew it was too much to say the flames would completely go away. Something that strong would _never_ go away, no matter how many centuries one had to control it. But I would try, because it was my duty to family. But there was another reason. One I did not fully understand.

Even with her devastatingly delicious blood that made me more homicidal than a newborn vampire, I was enthralled with Bella Swan already. And that was _not_ a good sign.

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**Pretty please leave reviews? This is my first attempt EVER at writing, let alone publishing it, so please tell me how good it is! I really want to know. Your opinion means everything to me. :) Hugs and kisses to all who read! And even more to you amazing reviewers...**

**Kate**


	5. Chapter 5: Visions and Decisions

**Summary:** What if Bella didn't fall in love with Edward right away? What if she instinctively shied away like normal humans do, like she was supposed to?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything, sadly...

**A/N: **So sorry everyone! I was sick, and instead of taking the wonderful opportunity(being out of school) to write this chapter, I got distracted and read other stories all weekend long. But, it is finally done and up, hope you all enjoy. And I would like to thank my Beta for helping me correct my errors. :)

Chapter 5: Visions and Decisions

EPOV

As soon as the bell rang, I was flying out the door. A small voice in the back of my head warned me that I should slow down, that the humans would notice me. This warning, however, was lost in the raging inferno of thirst. I needed to get out of this room, away from the one human who threatened to break me. I wouldn't risk disappointing Carlisle.

I walked as quickly as possible to my Volvo, throwing open the driver door. There was no way I could go to my other classes after my devastating 4th period. I launched myself into the seat and slammed the door shut, trying to get as far away from her scent as possible. I knew it couldn't reach me all the way into the parking lot, but I wasn't thinking rationally yet.

I sat in the seat for a few minutes, breathing hard. The fire was almost gone, but I still remembered the _scent_. I cut off that line of thought quickly as venom began pooling in my mouth. Instead, I began to ponder the sudden promise I made to myself. I didn't know what instigated it. I was rather surprised at myself for doing something that sudden, and without stopping to think about it. I still didn't even know why I did it. I was obviously engrossed with why I couldn't hear Bella's thoughts, but the fact that I would make such a promise was unexpected.

What was even more unexpected was that I was going to keep that promise, that vow to control the beast. I wasn't going to take it back after thinking about it rationally. I began contemplating how I would do this.

I obviously couldn't breathe when I was around Bella. I would have to hold my breath every time she was near. _Also,_ I thought, _I'm going to have to be around her more, to get used to her scent._

_No!_ I couldn't do that. I wouldn't be around the appetizing human more than necessary. I began to backtrack, reconsidering my promise for the first time. I knew that the more I was around Bella, the harder it would be to contain this thirst. I would be more likely to kill her the more time I spent around her.

So that option was out. I now began thinking about what to do. If I couldn't be around her more than necessary, how would I control the thirst? _I will just have to control it when I'm around her. Only when I _need_ to be around her._

I suddenly thought of Alice. It was completely out of the blue, I didn't know why she came into my head in the first place. _Why hadn't she come?_ She should have seen me killing Bella, she should have rushed to my Biology class and pulled me out. I extended my mind to her English class in building two. It wouldn't be hard to hear her. I heard my family the best; I had become attuned to them the most.

She had her every thought on Jasper, scanning the future for him. He had been struggling during lunch, having trouble controlling his own thirst. I laughed darkly to myself as I thought of the irony of that. I had been judging him for being so weak, yet here I had almost murdered an innocent girl because her blood was exceptionally sweet.

I knew it wasn't the same though. Jasper struggled most with his thirst. He had a much different lifestyle before us, becoming used to instant gratification. He wasn't to be blamed. It wasn't just that he had poor self-control.

And it also wasn't just that Bella's blood was exceptionally sweet. She was a siren to me. I knew I wouldn't have been able to stand much longer in that small classroom with the scent of her blood all around me.

I had to stop thinking about it. I had to stop letting thoughts of her blood creep into my mind. They were a poison, seeping into my mind and threatening to kill me. I knew I was being slightly melodramatic, but I also wasn't. Killing Bella would hurt Carlisle, even though I knew he would forgive me. But I wouldn't forgive myself. I wouldn't be able to accept that I had killed an innocent person, when I knew I had the self-control to prevent it, had I just tried a bit harder.

I shoved all thoughts of Bella away with substantial force. I focused all my thoughts on Alice, as she was doing with Jasper. I ran through every vision of hers, seeing if Jasper would do something. I also hunted Jasper's mind down, seeing how much he was struggling. He was in History, and doing pretty well, all things considered. However, I knew we would have to go hunting tonight. He would not be able to come to school tomorrow without it. We were already pushing his strength to the limit going two weeks in between hunting. I also knew I would have to go as well. There was no point in dismissing my own weakness. It would be easier resisting Bella's blood if I were full on animals' blood.

"Argh!!" I shouted at myself. I needed to stop thinking about her! It would destroy me. With more force than necessary, I reached over into the glove compartment and snatched one of my favorite CDs. Debussy's Greatest. I shoved the disk into the slot and turned the volume on high. I reclined my seat back and closed my eyes, submerging myself in the complicated notes and melodies. I began humming to myself, and before I knew it, 5th period had passed by.

I heard Alice's thoughts before I heard her footsteps. I sat back up and opened my eyes. As I reached for the volume dial, the passenger door flew open. A small head covered with spiky black hair popped in, and was soon followed by a small body.

"Edward… What happened 4th period?" She began, staring intently at my face. I was sure she could see the dread in my eyes as I realized she _had_ seen me killing Bella. She was just keeping the vision blocked out by focusing on Jasper.

"So it's true. You were going to kill her?" As the words left her mouth, I saw the vision. It flashed before my eyes in a blur, a mixture of blood and screaming. She quickly hid her thoughts before I saw more.

"No! I stopped myself, I wasn't going to do it!" I said desperately, looking into Alice's eyes. "I wasn't going to do it, was I?"

She closed her eyes, and scanned the future. "I…" I saw countless visions flashing in our heads, some picturing Bella dead, some showed her living. "I don't know." She finally said, opening her eyes. "It depended on your self-control, your strength. I saw you killing her for about half the class, and something changed. I saw flickers of her alive. I was about to get out of class and pull you out, but the last one I saw was her alive, and you running out to the car. I figured could spare having this conversation with you for another hour." She looked at me pointedly, expecting an explanation.

"Okay, well thanks for the information."

"No, Edward! You are going to tell me what happened right now! I have _never_ seen you lose control, least of all like _that_. What. Happened?" I saw a slight glint anger in her eyes as she blew off my attempts to sidestep her questioning.

I looked at her face and realized I could not get out of this conversation. I hung my head in shame as I reluctantly told her about my weakest moment.

"I'm not sure what happened. I was going to talk to her, and try to read her thoughts, but when she walked by me… She has the sweetest smelling blood I have _ever_ smelled. Worse than Emmett's two times. I almost couldn't stop myself. You can't even _imagine_, Alice, what it's like." I was consumed in waves of self-loathing, and never wanted to resurface. I had almost taken the life of an innocent human.

Her eyes softened, and she grabbed my face. "Edward. Look at me. Please. Edward!" I finally looked at her face, with pain and hatred still etched on mine. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know. But the fact is, that you _didn't_ kill her. You _did_ have the strength to control yourself. I'm proud of you for that. You didn't know she would smell like that, but you controlled yourself. If it was worse than Emmett's two times, then I'm sure that anyone else wouldn't have been able to do what you did. Be proud of yourself."

I couldn't. There was no way in the world that I would be able to be _proud_ of myself for almost killing someone. She saw my thoughts and disagreement in my eyes. "I can't, Alice. I almost killed her. How can I be _proud_ of myself for that?"

"You. Didn't. Kill. Her. _That's_ why you should, and _will_, be proud. Judging by what Emmett told us, if that were anything close to what he experienced, she would have been dead the moment she stepped into the room. You are saying that it was worse, and I believe you. You could feel how much those other women's blood called to Em through the medium of his thoughts, so I'm not refuting your statement. Now get your head out of your butt, and listen to what I'm telling you. Okay?" Her words cut into me. I knew she was right, in some sense. I just wasn't ready to accept that just yet.

"Fine, Alice. I understand what you're saying, but you'll have to give me some time to come to terms with that. I'll be fine later, just le-"

My words cut off. Alice was having a vision, and it involved Bella. I watched as Bella walked out of one of her classes, and Alice skipped up to her. They began talking and linked arms. Bella was smiling and the walked off to lunch together, talking animatedly. They were acting like best friends. They _were_ best friends.

"Alice… What. Was. That?" Alice couldn't be friends with Bella. That would mean she would be closer to me, and that put Bella in more danger from me.

"I'm not sure. I think… I think that we're going to be friends, Edward." She was smiling now. I saw the vision harden and become more concrete with every word. "She's going to be my best friend. I can tell. But… How?"

"No! You can't do that Alice! I'll kill her! The closer she is to you, the more chances I have of killing her. You can't do this!" I knew she wouldn't listen. My protests were weak, already sounding defeated.

"Edward Cullen." I looked into her hard, black eyes. Alice was getting ticked, I could tell. "You _will not_ tell me who and who are not my friends." She was growing more heated and assertive with each word, and it shocked me. Alice was almost never like this with me. "If I want to become friends with Bella, then I sure as heck will. You have no right to tell me what to do. If you think you don't have the control to be around her without being tempted to kill her, then stay away. She is going to be a good friend of mine, my best friend, as a matter of fact, and you _will not_ stand in the way. You got that?"

I blanched at her tone. Alice surprised me with the force of her words. All I could do was numbly nod my head.

"Good. Class is almost out. If you need to go home, then so be it. But if you can, I would prefer you just waited in the car. I, as well as the rest of us, really don't feel like putting up with Rose complaining about getting her hair wet. It'll rain this afternoon." She smiled angelically, completely opposite of her mood a few moments ago. "See you after school."

I watched as she got out of the car, shutting the door in time with the bell. She smiled and walked up to Bella, introducing herself. As she walked away, I put my forehead on the steering wheel, our words in the car replaying over and over again in my mind.

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BPOV

As soon as the bell rang, Edward darted out of the room. I barely had time to process the fact that the bell had even rung, and he was gone. _He hates me._ I repeated the phrase over and over again as I walked to my next class by myself. I didn't feel like walking with anyone.

I barely paid attention in my 5th period class. His expressions and tone when he had spoken kept distracting me. The hour flew by. I barely noticed when the bell rang, it was the students getting up that alerted me of the class change. I idly began wondering if all the Cullens were this way. If they all were rude, frightening, and had an aura that made you want to stay away.

I soon got my answer. Right when I stepped out of the classroom, a diminutive person with short, inky black hair that spiked up everywhere sprung up at my side. She was oddly pixie-like.

"Hi! My name is Alice Cullen. You're Bella, right?" Alice was almost bouncing with excitement. She reminded me of the Energizer Bunny on crack. A cliché, I know, but she was dressed in pink, so it really did fit the expression.

"Uh. Nice to meet you. Yeah, I'm Bella." Wait. Alice _Cullen_. Edward's sister?

"Nice to meet you too. Look, I've gotta run, but it was really nice meeting you! Maybe we can hang out sometime?" She looked hopeful. I kind of did like Alice, even though she was a little too energetic for me. Maybe Edward was the only one that was repellent.

"Uh, yeah, sure I guess. I'll see you later…" I said hesitantly. I barely knew Alice, but she seemed nice enough. And she had taken her time to introduce herself, so she must be friendly. Even though the introduction itself had already given away that aspect of her personality.

But there was a down side to this situation. If I became friends with Alice, then I would be around Edward more. I didn't want to be around him more. Sure, he was absolutely gorgeous, but he was rude. I didn't like him whatsoever. _Oh well, _I thought._ You don't know if you and Alice are even going to be friends. Maybe she was just introducing herself._

The rest of the day passed very quickly, for which I was grateful. I had one other class with Eric, which I wasn't too thrilled about. After the day ended, I went to the front office again. Ms. Cope asked how my day was as she took my slip with the teachers' signatures. I tried not to get too angry and upset about Biology, so I just said that I met some people, and that I had a good day. I didn't like to lie, but in some cases, it's necessary.

I left shortly after, and climbed into my rusty old truck. I turned the heater on, and fluffed my hair out. I tried very hard to ignore all the people looking over as I started my thunderously loud engine. _Maybe this truck isn't so great after all_. I thought, trying not me meet all the eyes trained on me and my vehicle.

The ride home was easy. Everything in this town was off the highway. I just had to find my street, which wasn't hard, and park in front of the old white house. Charlie had given me a key, and told me where the spare was, under the eave. As I unlocked the door, I began thinking about dinner. Last night we had gone to the diner, a couple miles down the highway, so I had no idea what he had along the lines of food. I dropped my backpack on the bottom step, and went to plunder the kitchen.

I didn't get much. A box of unopened noodles, a can of sliced potatoes, two cans of chicken noodle soup, lots of fish in the freezer, and eggs. I needed to go shopping. Luckily, in my digging, I came across a jar in the cupboard that said "Food Money". I called Charlie to ask if I could use it for shopping, and headed off to the store with an affirmative.

I spent about an hour getting used to the layout of the store, and grabbing the essentials, along with something for tonight's dinner. We are going to have steak and potatoes.

As soon as I got home, I marinated the steak, and put it in the fridge. I grabbed my backpack as I headed up the stairs to my room, groaning out loud. I _so_ didn't want to do homework. As I sat down at my old desk, I remembered my promise to my mom. I had to email her regularly. Excited to have an excuse to put off homework, I bounced over to my computer and turned it on. After a minute or two, it started up and I logged onto my email. There was an email there from my mom asking how my first day of school was, and how I was settled. I spent fifteen minutes replying back about how Charlie was, and how my day at school was. I made sure to leave out Biology.

With a huff, I sent it, and turned back to my homework. Luckily, it was easy, but it still took an hour. After I was done, I carefully made my way down the stairs, and put the potatoes in the oven. As I began on the steak, my thoughts drifted back to school. I began comparing Mike and Edward. The difference was obvious. Mike was cute, but not near as stunning as Edward. He was nice, caring, and interested in what I had to say. Edward was rude, frightening, and didn't even really talk to me. Well, you know what? I wouldn't talk to him either. If he ever did talk to me. I would ignore him just as he did today.

Before I could get too mad, I heard Charlie pull into the driveway. _Great timing. Dinner will be done in 4 minutes_. I smiled. A moment later, I heard him walk through the front door.

"Bells? I'm home!" He shouted, not realizing I was in the kitchen. I smiled and walked into the front room, where he was hanging up his jacket and belt of police gear.

"Hey, Dad! You have perfect timing. Dinner just got done." I smiled warmly, walking back to the kitchen, serving up our meals on plates I found in a cabinet.

"Um, thanks. What did you, uh, make?" He asked a bit… hesitantly. That really was the only word to describe his tone.

"Steak and potatoes." I laughed. I used to love to experiment with cooking when I was younger. It didn't always come out edible. Charlie would be glad to know that my culinary skills were greatly improved.

We talked about my day during dinner, after which Charlie retired to the living room. I rinsed off the plates, and climbed up the stairs to get in the shower. The hot water relaxed me, which would definitely help when I tried to go to sleep.

After I changed into some sweats and an old tee shirt, I checked my email one last time before setting my alarm clock. I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep in a matter of minutes. This day was exhausting, but little did I know, tomorrow would be worse.

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**So, hope you all liked it. Sorry again for it being late. But to help y'all forgive me, this is my longest chapter yet, by more than 1,000 words! So, review, even if your mad at me!! It means a lot. I'll be working on Chapter 6 soon and I'll try not to take as long as this. :) Everyone who reads this, you are awesome! Love you all!**

**Kate**

**P.S.- If you want to know how far along I am on the next chapter, and when it'll be up, check my profile! I have a designated area called "Status" that I update every time I make some progress on my story. It'll tell you how far I am, and anything else you might want to know. If you still have questions, feel free to PM me. **


	6. Chapter 6: Realizations

EDIT: Sorry everyone, if you got like, 3 alerts in your inbox for this chapter. I forgot a few things to correct when I posted and had to go back and fix them a couple times. :/ Continue on...

**Disclaimer: Just about everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Don't get why I have to keep putting these, we all know that I'm not her, but you know... Whatever. **

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**Bella's POV**

I cracked one eye open as I heard the most annoying and hated sound in the world. _Beep. Beep, beep. _It took me a minute to realize where I was, and once I did, I rolled back over and closed my eyes. I did _not_ want to go to school today. Unfortunately, I had to. I sat up with a sigh, and switched off my alarm clock with my eyes still closed. I yawned as the beeping stopped, and just sat there. After a few minutes, I opened my eyes, and sighed again.

I stood up, stretched, and walked to my door. Charlie was already gone; he leaves half an hour before I wake up to go to work. I drowsily walked down the hall to our bathroom, where I proceeded to look at my disheveled and tangled hair. _Jeez, that'll take a while to brush out. Maybe I can just skip school altogether today…_ My thoughts trailed off as I remembered it was only my second day of school. Dang! I can't miss school this early being there!

I sighed, and continued on with my morning routine, afterwards throwing on a pair of jeans and a cute red sweater. It fit pretty nicely, and was one of my favorites. After meeting everyone, I wanted to give some good impressions. Meaning Mike. I honestly couldn't care less about Edward. I remembered my promise last night. I would have nothing to do with him.

After shoving my homework in my backpack, I headed downstairs. As I grabbed a granola bar on my way out the door, I tripped. Recovering a few seconds later, I carefully made my way down the front steps and jogged to my truck. I hurried and got in; the cold, damp air was bothering me.

The peppermint and leather smell surrounded me, and made me smile. It reminded me of when I was younger, and would hang out with Charlie and his friend, Billy. I was friends with his son, Jacob. _I wonder how he is…_ I began thinking, but the deafening roar of the engine soon drowned all thoughts out.

I arrived to school a couple minutes early, and parked as quickly as possible. As much as I loved my truck, I didn't love the attention the noise drew to me. As I got out, I noticed Mike and his group standing in the courtyard. I debated whether to go over there or not, but my worries were soon dismissed when he waved me over. Smiling, I walked towards them, and greeted everyone. They kindly reminded me of their name, most of which I had forgotten. I remembered Angela, Jessica, Lauren, and Eric. And, of course, Mike. The other kids were Tyler, Ben, Michelle, Katie, and Justin. I smiled wider as I noticed Angela looking at Ben. When she looked away, she met my eyes and blushed. She knew I caught her. I just laughed and started talking to someone else, showing her that I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. She looked grateful, when I snuck a peek out of the corner of my eye.

The bell rang shortly thereafter, and I headed off to English with Mike and Eric. Jessica had that class too, so she walked with us. We talked, and it turns out that she's pretty nice. When we arrived at the classroom, I took my seat, and Jessica was next to me. She was telling me about the nearest movie theatre kids went to on a Friday night when I saw a streak of copper behind her head.

My eyes automatically focused without my permission to the door just in time to see Edward walk by outside the classroom, presumably on his way to his own first period. I scowled at myself. _Why do you care? You promised yourself last night that you would have nothing to do with him. You made a decision, now stick to it!_ I kept griping to myself about my lack of self-control. I suddenly realized that I hadn't answered Jessica, so I looked at her concerned face, and apologized.

"Oh my goodness, Jess. I'm so sorry! I totally zoned out on you, didn't I?" I rushed, my face heating up in embarrassment. I did _not_ need to be caught staring at Edward, but turns out she already did.

"It's okay Bella. I totally understand. I mean, you just got here yesterday. Trust me, it takes _weeks_ for people to start ignoring the Cullens. And even then we still catch ourselves staring sometimes." She giggled. I rolled my eyes.

"Um, actually, I wasn't staring. I was really glaring. I can't stand Edward. I've only met him and Alice, and they are polar opposites. Alice is really nice. But Edward is just… Gosh, I can't even explain how much he annoys me." I admitted. Her eyes went wide and her mouth gaped slightly. When she recovered she started stammering,

"Y-y-you mean, you don't _like_ Edward. W…What the heck Bella? He is a freaking _God_. A Greek god. How is this even possible?" She was droning on, and I had to catch myself from scoffing. I mean, seriously? He's hot and all, I'll admit. Heck, he even deserves the comparison of a Greek god, with all of his gorgeousness. But he was _mean_! Obviously she had to see that, right?

"Well, yeah, he is absolutely _gorgeous_, but not everyone deserves to be treated like a god for their looks. Has he ever even spoken to you?"

"Well…Um, see… Uh… No. He hasn't." She finally admitted. I gave her a reproving look.

"How can you go to a school with three hundred kids, and not talk to them? It's insane. I think _I've_ talked to half the kids here, and this is my second day. Besides, it's not just that he hasn't talked to me, but yesterday in Bio, he was like, _glaring_ at me. As if he hated me. And there was just something about him that made me want to stay away. Have you ever noticed that?" I asked, mostly talking to myself at this point. I also vaguely noticed that the bell rang a minute ago, but the teacher wasn't in the room yet, so everyone was still in their own conversations.

"Yeah, we all have. Why do you think that no one has gone up and tried to be their friend? We get all… Scared, I guess that's the best word for it, and don't know why. It's really weird." She said. Huh. I wasn't necessarily _scared_ per se, but I wasn't all happy and friendly feeling either.

"Class! I'm sorry I'm late. You've all had a extra couple of minutes to talk, so I now expect you to zip it and let me talk, understood?" The teacher announced, as he came into the class.

"Yeah, I feel kind of the same way." I whispered to Jessica, before the teacher could yell at us. Mr. Mason didn't seem to be in the greatest mood today. _Maybe he didn't have his coffee yet_. I thought.

The class passed quickly, and I said goodbye to Jessica. As I walked out of the class, Eric walked up to me again, with Mike. We walked to Government, just like yesterday.

That class was slightly more interesting. Alice was in it. As soon as she saw me, her mouth spread into a huge smile. _Whoa._ Shiny teeth. As it turned out, my seat was next to her. Figures. But I did kind of like Alice. She was one of those people that had a ton of friends, and drew you in. I could tell, even after only one short conversation with her. That's saying a lot. But from what I've heard, the Cullens kept to themselves. And had _no_ friends besides their siblings.

"Bella! You're in this class! I wasn't in this one yesterday, so I didn't know. How are you?" She was doing that vibrating-with-excitement thing again.

"Um, hi. Good to see you again? I'm uh… doing okay for the second day here. Still pretty awkward though." I was truthful, but didn't mention that her brother was the thing making my day awkward. I was dreading fourth period already.

"That's good. At least you're not totally miserable. I know I would be if I had to move to a new school. So, I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping this weekend?" At the mention of shopping, I totally forgot my thoughts about her not having any friends to miss if she moved. But how could I get out of it? She had this puppy dog face, and looked so dang hopeful. I couldn't say no. Crap. Shopping it is…

"Um, that's fine, I guess. I just have to warn you though, shopping isn't really my thing, so go easy on me."

"Yay! I knew you'd say yes!" She laughed, with a delighted smile on her face. Which also looked slightly devious. _Hmm, what's that all about?_ "Ooh, the bell's about to ring. After class I'll give you the details." As soon as the last word left her mouth, the bell rang.

"Okay." Jeez. Alice was so… full of energy. You could tell even by the way she talked, jumping from one subject or thought to another. Rapidly. Shopping was _not_ going to be fun. I sighed.

Class ended much quicker than I wanted, but I couldn't do anything about it. As soon as the bell rang, Alice turned to me and started talking, even though the teacher wasn't done yet. Talk about eagerness.

"Okay, how late do you usually sleep in on Saturdays?"

"Um, about ten-ish?" I actually woke up between eight-thirty and nine, but I wanted to put off shopping as much as possible.

"Me too. So I guess I can pick you up around eleven o'clock? Or do you need longer to get ready? Me and Rose need a while." She giggled.

"Um, eleven sounds fine. I'll give you my address." I started to rip a sheet of paper from my notebook, but Alice stopped me.

"Oh, I already know where you live. I'm not a stalker or anything," She quickly corrected herself with a laugh. "it's just that in a town this small, we know where everyone lives. Especially the chief of police." Oh, good. For a second there, I was a little weirded out.

"Oh. Okay, cool. I guess I'll see you then." I put on my backpack, and headed out the door with her, where Mike was waiting. "Bye!"

"Bye, Bella!" She said, and literally skipped away. Weird. But I really did like her. She reminded me of the little sister I wanted, even though we were the same age.

"Hey, Bella." Mike said, as I turned away from Alice to face him. "You know Alice? She never talks to anyone." He remarked with a furrowed brow, looking confused.

"Um, yeah. We're going shopping Saturday. She never talks to anyone? She certainly is friendly." _That's an understatement._ I thought as we walked towards Mr. Hendrix's class.

"Seriously? Wow. That's…big. As far as I know, none of the Cullens have ever even _talked_ to another student, let alone make plans to hang out outside of school." He said, sounding surprised. I was too. As if I needed any more attention drawn to myself.

We reached the class, said goodbye, and took our seats. Class passed slowly, and I was grateful. Lunch was next. _Wonderful._

**Edward's POV**

When I got to school, I tried not to immediately look for her in others' thoughts. And failed completely. I found her in Mike's thoughts walking up to the group he was standing in. He soon began thinking about her in other than just friends-ly ways, so I moved to Angela's head. She was thinking of some Ben character. I caught onto what happened a few seconds in listening. She was staring at Ben, whom she obviously liked. Bella had caught her and, instead of calling her out on it, just giggled and started talking to another girl named Katie. Angela was very grateful, as I was impressed. Another thing to add to my list of Bella's Qualities. She is kind and understanding.

After getting home last night, I thought about Bella a lot more. More than I had any other human. I found myself caught up in her secrets and mysteries. I wanted to know everything about her. It was weird, but I didn't care. Alice knew, obviously, as did Jasper. He felt the curiosity in my emotions. But the rest of my family was in the dark. Alice had told Jasper to keep quiet.

The sound of the bell interrupted my thoughts. Before I knew what I was doing, I headed off to Bella's first period class. It was too late to turn around, so I held my breath, and found Bella in Jessica Stanley's thoughts. I caught on to the end of their discussion, which I could also hear coming from the classroom, what with my super-hearing.

"_There's this new one coming out soon, about zombies. I want to see it really bad." Wait, is she even listening? "Bella? Beeelllllaa?" Oh. Edward._

By now I realized I had already walked past Mr. Mason's classroom. I saw Bella's blank stare at the door I had just passed in Jessica's mind. I smiled at the fact that she had stopped listening just to look at me. And I didn't even know why.

"_Oh my goodness, Jess. I'm so sorry! I totally zoned out on you, didn't I?" Ha. She was totally drooling over Edward. Caught ya._

"_It's okay Bella. I totally understand. I mean, you just got here yesterday. Trust me, it takes weeks for people to start ignoring the Cullens. And even then we still catch ourselves staring sometimes." Look at that blush. Haha. She's embarrassed, but I don't know why. We all did the same things. Even Eric, Tyler, and Mike._

Well that was new information. I did _not_ need to know that the guys were drooling over me too. Bella, I didn't mind but…

"_Um, actually, I wasn't staring. I was really glaring. I can't stand Edward. I've only met him and Alice, and they are polar opposites. Alice is really nice. But Edward is just… Gosh, I can't even explain how much he annoys me." Are. You. Serious?!? But… What?_

Jessica's thoughts were temporarily in a jumble, and mine were close to the same. The smile slid off my face in a heartbeat.

I just made it to my class, and sat down. I started thinking furiously. How? It takes _weeks_ for people to get over their infatuation with us, at best. Bella was over it in a day? That's… unheard of. I know I hadn't been all that friendly yesterday, but I hadn't been _that_ hostile. Right?

Not only was I surprised, I was disappointed. Again, I didn't know why. It hurt me to think that she didn't like me the way the other girls did. How was she different? _Why _was she different?

By now, Jessica had regained her composure.

"_Y-y-you mean, you don't _like_ Edward. W…What the heck Bella? He is a freaking God. A Greek god. How is this even possible?" She… But it's _Edward._ Seriously?_

I thought I saw a slight smirk on Bella's lips, and the disbelief in her eyes added to that theory.

"_Well, yeah, he is absolutel__y __gorgeous__, but not everyone deserves to be treated like a god for their looks. Has he ever even spoken to you?" Oh, shoot. Um, no... But at least she can admit the obvious. That's a start…_

Whoa. Did Bella just say that? I couldn't agree more, but still… That was one of the most mature things I've ever heard someone say.

Hold up! My insides fluttered as I caught on to the last part of her dialogue. _Well, yeah, he is absolutely gorgeous. _

So she… does… think of me that way? My mood soared, and I faintly acknowledged Jasper's confused thoughts at my sudden mood changes recently. I ignored them, and intently focused on the rest of the conversation. My inner monologue had only lasted a second, and Jessica hadn't answered yet.

"_Well…Um, see… Uh… No. He hasn't." Shoot. She totally has me there. I've never noticed it before though…_

"_How can you go to a school with three hundred kids, and not talk to them? It's insane. I think _I've_ talked to half the kids here, and this is my second day. Besides, it's not just that he hasn't talked to me, but yesterday in Bio, he was like, _glaring_ at me. As if he hated me. And there was just something about him that made me want to stay away. Have you ever noticed that?" That is so true. Oh, my gosh. I feel like an idiot._

Huh. I never noticed it that way. But Bella was right. I, or my family, had never talked to anyone at school. Besides my brothers and sisters. Again, it took a bit for the second part of her rant to register. Had I really looked like I _hated_ the girl? I felt the total opposite. Yet again, there was another thing to add to Bella's Qualities. She was observant. There _was_ something that made humans want to stay away. Their subconscious told them that we were dangerous. But Bella was the first person to consciously recognize that. Wow.

"_Yeah, we all have. Why do you think that no one has gone up and tried to be their friend? We get all scared and stuff, and don't know why. It's really weird." Jeez, had I never really noticed this before? Huh._

"_Class! I'm sorry I'm late. You've all had a extra couple of minutes to talk, so I now expect you to zip it and let me talk, understood?"_

Well at least Jessica recognized it also. Maybe now she won't be so obsessed with me. She does a good job of hiding it, but with my _advantages_, I knew better.

"_Yeah, I feel kind of the same way."_

Bella's last sentence before their conversation was over. Shoot. So, I had learned, Bella thinks I hate her, thinks I'm the hottest guy on the earth, and is comparable to a Greek God. Also, I annoy the crap out of her, and she knows to stay away. Huh. Talk about some mixed signals.

Well, getting her to like me isn't going to be a matter of just dazzling after all. I'll actually have to work for something. And I'll have no idea if it's going well or not. It's time to get to work. And I couldn't be more excited.

**Bella's POV**

Lunch. This is going to _suck._ I made my way to the cafeteria with Mike, whom I was starting to like more and more, by the way. I did my best not to look for the Cullens. At first. I lasted through getting my lunch, a turkey sub and some lemonade, and five minutes of talking with Jessica and Mike. Finally, when Mike mentioned my plans with Alice, I accidentally glanced up at their table. Only to find them all looking at me. I flushed a bright red and looked down.

"Holy crap Bella! Really? You're going shopping with Alice Cullen?" Jessica gushed. I looked up to answer her, again only to find everyone looking at me. But this time it was the people at our table.

"Um, yeah, sure. Saturday." I offered, my face still heated. If I knew I would be even more the center of attention, I wouldn't have agreed to go with Alice. Shoot.

"Wow, Bella!" Lauren sneered. "I didn't know you knew the Cullens. How special you must be if they talked to you, and no one else." She looked hateful.

"I guess I don't really know them."

"Well then how come you're going shopping with them?"

"I don't know…"

"Well, I don't believe you. You're just trying to get attention." Lauren was really getting on my nerves. And that comment just jumped up and down on them.

"Look, Lauren. I don't know them, and I don't know _you._ You have _no_ right to be saying that stuff about me. In fact, I hate attention, just so you know. Alice asked me to go shopping with her on Saturday after a class earlier today. And I said yes. Should I be blamed for that? Because I can walk over to their table right now and cancel, if you'd like. Anything to make Your Highness happy." I was getting madder and madder by the second, and after that, I got up and walked away. Surprisingly, I didn't trip. I smiled to myself. A pretty good exit if I say so myself.

After wandering, I ended up at my locker. I took my time getting my stuff, and headed off to class. I was the first one there obviously. I liked the idea of being by myself for the next twenty minutes.

I started thinking about my outburst at lunch. I knew I had a temper, I just didn't think I'd go off on someone I barely knew. She really hadn't been _that_ mean. It was probably just pent up frustration of yesterday and today coming out. Not that I minded. Lauren wasn't that nice. I didn't like her at all actually. So I didn't regret what I'd said one bit.

Unfortunately, I didn't get my wish of being by myself. I heard someone walk in the door. As I glanced up, I figured it would be Mike or even Lauren. Nothing prepared me for who really walked in.

"Hello. I guess I was a bit rude yesterday. Sorry about that. My name is Edward Cullen." He said as he took the seat next to me.

Are. You. Kidding. Me? I have to spend the next fifteen minutes _alone_ with Edward?! It doesn't sound like a long time, but if it's the amount of time you have to spend with someone you hate _alone_, it seems like it's years, not minutes. Could my day get any worse? But _I_ didn't want to seem rude by not talking. That was his job. So I said the only two words called for in this situation.

"I know." I didn't look at him. I was thinking about my promise of not having anything to do with him, or talking to him. I have to modify that. If I'll be spending time with Alice, I might see Edward. So… I just won't have as much to do with him as I can. And I won't talk to him if I can help it.

"Look, I _am_ sorry about yesterday. I was having a bad day, I suppose you could say, and kind of took it out on you. Can we perhaps start over? Forget my awful behavior yesterday?" I spared a tiny glance in his direction, and what I saw caught me off guard.

His eyes weren't black, like yesterday. They were a light gold. Now that I think about it, the same color as Alice's were earlier today. How the heck does someone's eyes change color, unless they have colored contacts. Wait… Did he say he wanted to _start over_? And forget that he was a complete and total jerk yesterday? I don't think so.

"No. I don't think we can start over. But I have a question." His eyes looked sad for a minute, and then somewhat cautious.

"Um, sure, but I don't know if I'll be able to answer." Good. At least he's being honest.

"Do you have contacts? Like, gold or black ones? Because there is no way people's eyes change color, and yesterday yours were black." his eyes widened slightly at my words. Enough that I could clearly see that today he wasn't wearing contacts. So if he had any, they would be black.

"Yes. It was a practical joke from Emmett. He snuck online and ordered these for me a year ago. The color kind of grew on me. I forgot to put them in yesterday. My eyes are originally black." LIAR!! He's not wearing contacts today. Well, now I have a reason to trust him even less.

"Oh? Well… I guess the prank backfired on Emmett." I said curtly and turned back to the front of the class. Stupid, lying, gorgeous, bronze-haired boy…

"I suppose it did." I didn't acknowledge his comment, and started doodling on the back cover of my notebook.

"It took a lot of guts to say what you did to Lauren back there. I'm impressed. Though Alice is worried that you'll cancel on her." He said quietly after a few minutes of silence. My eyes widened and I shot my head up to look at him.

"How did you hear that? I wasn't yelling, and you were across the cafeteria!" My eyes widened. They weren't supposed to hear that. They _shouldn't_ have been able to hear it. His eyes widened to match mine for a second, before he spoke again.

"Emmett has pretty good hearing. He was cracking up and told us what happened." _Pretty_ good hearing? I'll say…

"Oh. Yeah, well I sort of lost my temper. I shouldn't have gone off on her like that." Not that I feel bad about it. Apparently Edward felt the same way.

"No, you should have. She needs to be put in place every once in a while. And I'm sure it gave everyone a good laugh to see her get told off."

"Good." I didn't need to talk to him anymore. I have to keep my promise, even if he is sort of amusing to talk to. And that voice… God, I could hear him talk all day. Musical and velvet… _No!_ _This is why you shouldn't talk to him. Just because he's being nice now, doesn't mean anything. He is still a jerk._ I tried to convince myself. Luckily, he didn't talk for the last five minutes, and the students started coming in before he could.

We didn't talk at all, and I didn't look at him the whole class. I felt his eyes on me, but I resisted the urge to look back. I was quite proud of myself. I thought maybe he could be nice. But class ended just like yesterday. He got up and ran out of the room. Away from me.

* * *

**Sooo... I'm super sorry it's been months! But, I'm hoping to make a peace offering! This chapter is longer than others, and Chapter 7 is almost done(and it'll be the longest _ever_). It should be up in the next couple days. Plus, it includes the shopping scene. Hope this chapter and the next doesn't disappoint. Thanks for reading, and PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**Kate!!  
(I would put the initials of my penname, but BO just doesn't work... Don't you think? ;P Haha. Any suggestions? Or does just putting Kate work? Ahh, I hate making decisions...)**


	7. I'm Sorry

**This looks boring, but please read it.**

This story hasn't really turned out the way I planned... I also started it when I actually had time on my hands, which I now do not. I do plan on writing again sometime, but for now, it simply isn't working out. I'm probably going to redo this story, but until then _**it is on hiatus indefinitely**_. Very sorry to the people who were reading it, I hope you forgive me.

I probably shouldn't be asking this because I promised that I would finish this story and I'm not going to(for a while), but would you put me on your author alert so you'll know when I do start writing again?

Again, I'm _very_ sorry but life has recently alerted me of its presence and turns out, it's quite demanding of both time and energy. Thank you for bothering to read my story however, and I hope that you enjoyed it while it lasted.

Kate.

P.S.- I want to say thank you to my beta for putting up with my crap these past months. You're amazing! :)


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